JOI to the World: Jerkoff Instruction as a Fetish

A sexual fetish that can be focused on both elements of BDSM as well as vanilla sex, jerkoff instruction (or JOI) is where someone–most often a domme or dominatrix–instructs a sub how to masturbate through explicit verbal and visual cues.

It would not be unfair to say that of all the alternative or fetish porn niches available (and there are many), jerkoff instruction counts among the most popular and accessible to the general public. This is largely due to the fact that it is a style of “introductory” domination–that is, while the domme is giving instruction, encouragement, and sometimes degradation or humiliation, the sub himself is the one following her orders and pleasuring his body by doing something familiar and easily recognizable. There is no new or strange equipment or toys being used.

Like all D/s games, there is a power exchange at play when it comes to JOI–that is, there is the implicit element of instruction itself, wherein the sub must forfeit his own power and follow his mistress’s rules to the letter. After all, there would be no jerkoff instructions if you did not listen and follow along to exactly what they were saying. Thus, this is one sexual fetish that can bring a great deal of pleasure to men who like being explicitly told what to do and enjoy following instructions and feel rewarded by being “good.” It offers a non-extreme, very standard, vanilla version of submission that, in many instances, is completely painless and focused entirely on pleasure through domination.

That’s not to say that pain can’t be involved, of course. There are some subs who like to include pain with their jerkoff instruction submission, as well. For those men who feel the need to satiate their masochistic tendencies while still receiving jerkoff instruction, common commands can be included in the process, including hitting themselves in the testicles, or squeezing their own penis hard enough to cause physical discomfort or outright pain. Additionally, it’s not uncommon for a domme to give a countdown towards orgasm, and stop at a relatively low number, not allowing the sub to finish. Teasing and denial are an integral part of JOI, with a huge focus set on just how far a slave is willing to go and how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to please their master or mistress.

Often, JOI goes hand in hand with jerkoff encouragement. After all, its oftentimes the case that a sub wants to not only be told how to masturbate, but also that your mistress actively wants you to experience and enjoy your orgasm. This is especially the case with submissives who are seeking a gentler, less sadistic form of ownership and power play. This type of sexual encounter can be incredibly satisfying for the sub, who feels they are giving their mistress an incredible gift and also handing over all of their power in the situation simultaneously.